Nova Scotia RCMP 911 police dispatchers will soon answer emergency calls out of a new communications centre at its headquarters in Dartmouth.
In a news release Friday, Nova Scotia RCMP said its dispatchers will begin working out of the operation communications centre on Wednesday.
Glen Byrne, commander of the Nova Scotia RCMP OCC, said when the force began this project in 2018, they travelled to dispatch centres across the country to see what is considered best practices.
Byrne said they also worked alongside Nova Scotia’s Emergency Management Office.
According to the RCMP, the force asked its dispatchers for input on what they would like the centre to include.
The new centre includes an open concept layout, ergonomic workstations, next-generation 911 compatible systems that will support continued advancements in technology and areas for employees to decompress after calls.
Derek Wood, a 911 police dispatcher with Nova Scotia RCMP, said he’s excited to use the new space.
“What I’m looking forward to most about working in the OCC is the obvious open concept and being able to hear everything that’s going on for situational awareness,” Wood said, “as well as the cool new lights that we have that can alert somebody so we can get to them and help them a little bit quicker."
EJ Kwon, who has been a 911 police dispatcher with the H Division for the past 5.5 years, said as the department transitions to the next-generation 911 system, it will help Nova Scotians to help communicate in numerous ways.
“RCMP 911 police dispatchers help Nova Scotians every day, through the challenging yet exceptional work they do,” said Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman, commanding officer of the Nova Scotia RCMP.
“The new, modern OCC enhances our existing abilities to provide an extremely high level of service to the residents of Nova Scotia for many years to come.”